Soundbites: 3rd October 2004

Rickardsson, Crump and Hancock

"It's fantastic. The first time I have felt well in the last fortnight was after heat 19! If you want something in life you have to go for it, I have dreamed of winning the world championship since I was a child and it's great to finally do it. It was an emotional moment for my team and family and it all got a bit much for everyone. I am really pleased it's finally happened and feel very fortunate to be in this position."
World Champion Jason Crump

"I obviously wanted to win the world title, my season has been strong apart from a bad patch in the middle of the year, but sometimes you need a few bits to fall in the right places to be world champion, it just didn't happen for me. But Jason was stronger and a better rider over the year and he really deserves it. I hope to come back and give him a really good run for his money next year!"
Runner up Tony Rickardsson

"My team has worked extremely hard all year and I'm pleased to settle for third place. I missed out on finishing higher at the last GP in Bydgoszccz two weeks ago, so third is fine for me. Congratulations to Jason, he's earned it."
Greg Hancock

"I would like to think that I would get a year-long wild card place. The authorities need riders from Great Britain, and it would make sense to pick Lee Richardson and myself. I would much rather have won my own place in 2005, but with an early season injury realistically I missed out on three of the ten GP meetings."
Scott Nicholls

"The speedway didn't go to plan but we will be doing our utmost to put that right in 2005. For a start, we are definitely thinking of switching the race night from Thursday to Friday. Thursdays have affected the crowd because a lot of school children weren't coming to meetings. Most fans who I have talked to are in favour of Fridays. We lost £40,000 on the speedway this year and some people may say we are to blame for switching the race day from Saturday to Thursday. But we lost money last year as well when the speedway ran on Saturdays."
Coventry owner Avtar Sandhu

"Sean has worked very hard in the gym over the last few weeks but the next step was to get some practice. His physio felt he needed to have some practice laps, simply just to get back on a bike. He was concerned that the longer Sean was off a bike the harder it would be for him to get back on and this is all part of his rehabilitation. He insists there is no way Sean can ride competitively at the moment, for a start he still doesn't have full and complete movement in his neck, but it's a start."
Neil Machin on Sean Wilson

"That's not it. I am certainly not retiring, and I will definitely be back next season." I have bailed myself out, I don't like it in hospital. In 32 years riding speedway it is only the second time I have been detained and I don't like it."
Malcolm Holloway

"There is so much I could say but I'm not saying anything at the moment. Words mean nothing in speedway."
John Perrin on the Aces being kicked out of the KO Cup

"They will probably win by a small margin at Monmore Green but I think they will be well beaten down at Poole - that's just my opinion."
Hans Andersen on Wolves Play Off prospects

"Sometimes you say these things when you are young, He's entitled to his opinion and I suppose it's up to us to prove he is wrong."
Mikael Max responds to Andersen's comments

"Boycie phoned both myself and Dave Pavitt early on Tuesday morning to say he was determined to ride and that typifies his battling spirit. Him having to withdraw from the away match at Loomer Road after just two rides through the pain he was suffering was a huge blow to us in that first leg. I feel sure that, but for that first-race incident, we'd have run the Potters a lot closer than their final 12 points winning margin but we kept battling away and I was always confident that we could pull those points back in the return."
Martin Newnham on the Islanders' Young Shield triumph over Stoke

"Paul was just outstanding and it was a good job he was. I had little choice other than to put him in heat 15 because he was our second best rider of the night, but in hindsight perhaps I should have gone for a better gater. Kevin Doolan also played his part, but James Brundle and Adam Allott had bad nights. You won't get another night where they both perform so bad. I think Adam's early crash really knocked his confidence, while James was trying too hard."
Buster Chapman's verdict on Lynn's win over Workington on Wednesday

"Winning the Cup would help us finish the season on a high and finally give our fans something to cheer. We perhaps missed an opportunity to win at Armadale. However, 11 points is not that big a deficit to pull back. It's going to be an interesting meeting, that's for sure."
Shane Parker looks forward to today's Scottish Cup decider

"Team wise we had a terrible start to this season. Frede wasn't fit and not having him for the first couple of weeks was a big blow to us all. It took us a while to get going. When we did get going we were all right, but losing two home matches against Hull and Rye House was something we never really recovered from."
Rory Schlein on Edinburgh's season

"There's not much to choose, they're all difficult. I didn't fancy another trip to the Isle of Wight at this time of the year. Who wants to get seasick going to a speedway meeting? Besides, the track's rougher than a bear's backside and Islanders are going really well at home. I didn't relish Reading either, particularly as Danny Bird, Matej Zagar, Andrew Appleton and Phil Morris all go well round Craven Park. On balance it was Workington as apart from their big two of Carl Stonehewer and Simon Stead the other riders are nothing that special round Hull."
Eric Boocock explains why he opted to face Workington in the Young Shield semi-finals

"I had gone a bit stale and I needed to do something to kick start my career again. Stoke was always a track I enjoyed coming to and I felt the move would act in my favour. My family has been so supportive and it has helped having the crowd on my side. I'd like to think I've done enough to be considered for a second season, but that's down to the promotion."
Paul Clews

"This was a match we would have loved to have publicised because Stoke include our former controversial rider Justin Elkins and most Dons' fans want to see him ride at Plough Lane. He used to be either a top scorer or have a spate of bike problems. But, on form, he's a talented lad.
Dingle Brown - unhappy at late fixture switches

"My physio has advised me to take another week out. I have been working twice a day in the gym and I hope to start swimming next week. The ankle and finger are painful but the shoulder is more complex and that's giving the most concern."
Injury update from Simon Stead

"The riders have been terrific from day one and we are now in the driving seat in the championship. There is no better feeling than winning the league championship in front of your own supporters and Sunday may prove to be something of a red letter day in the history of the club."
Mildenhall boss Graham Drury

This article was first published on 3rd October 2004